Chinese artist Ai Weiwei released

An online journal about visual art, the urban landscape and design. Mary Louise Schumacher, the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic, leads the discussion and a community of writers contribute to the dialogue.

News agencies all over the world are reporting that China's most famous living artist Ai Weiwei has been released after 80 days of detention.

The artist, most known around the world for his role in designing the Bird's Nest stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, was released on bail late Wednesday. He is home with family and in good health, according to multiple news reports.

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Mike Brenner did it! Thank goodness he decided to shave is head in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum! And I thought it was just an attention grabbing stunt by a nimrod! Thank you Mike Brenner, the real hero!

This is ALL thanks to Mike Brenner! Mike stood up to the mighty Chinese government and they flinched first! Ai Weiwei now has what Jedi's refer to as a 'life debt' to Mike for getting him released.

What's next for Mike Brenner? Will he take on the situation in Darfur? What about the warlords in Central/East Africa? Can he put in some time for stopping Global Warming? What about ending the Republican Party once and for all?

Mike Brenner and the Wall Street Journal can take a victory lap. Buck, you and some others need remedial work in the Bill of Rights.

"WSJ: "U.S. Museum Directors to Ai Weiwei: Drop Dead"

"...The United States of America stands for freedom. The nation's cultural institutions represent its values to the world, freedom among them. Art museums, as custodians of the products of the unfettered imagination, symbolize creative freedom. Therefore, when an artist is imprisoned for exercising that freedom, particularly one of Mr. Ai's stature, the appropriate response is not business as usual but a call to action. Otherwise the museum directors send the signal that works of art are just so many pretty baubles, not tokens of a higher level of human aspiration and accomplishment worth defending...."

More from the Wall Street Journal. AAMD = Association of Art Museum Directors.

"....What should AAMD have done? At minimum, issued a strongly worded, stand-alone statement, denouncing his detention and demanding his immediate, unconditional release. Better yet, it should have coupled that statement with an announcement that U.S. museums would henceforth cease doing business with China until Mr. Ai is released—no more loans, exhibitions or commerce of any kind.

There would be a price, of course. The public would be denied access to the riches of another civilization. But the goals of "cultural exchange" could be maintained by inviting visitors to study the Chinese works of art already in the permanent collections of member museums. There might be a surprising level of support for such a step.

The museums themselves would lose financially, forfeiting lucrative exhibition fees and the income they earn in gate receipts and retail sales from their China programs. China itself would likely retaliate, perhaps by harassing museums with demands for another "inspection tour" of the kind they conducted two years ago in search of objects allegedly looted from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. But taking a stand on principle is never cost-free. And whatever the penalties to the museums, they would be less than those being visited on Mr. Ai...."

no, John, I don't. I know plenty about the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights prevents the US gov't from infringing on certain activities. It has nothing to do with my statement that implied that MIke Brenner is an attention-seeking twit whose actions we're meaningless for anyone other than himself. Your assertion that Mike Brenner can take a "victory lap" is hilarious.

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Keep up with the art scene and trends in urban design with art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher. Every week, you'll get the latest reviews, musings on architecture and her picks for what to do on the weekends.